Paul Thomas Anderson Readies His Next Film

With THE MASTER wrapped and getting a bit of Oscar buzz, Paul Thomas Anderson isn’t waiting around to tackle his next project.

Dark Horizons reports that Anderson is all set to direct INHERENT VICE, based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon. Set in the 1960s, it’s a detective story in which the lead character investigates the disappearance of his ex-wife’s new husband. Of course, being that this is Thomas Pynchon writing, things veer off in a strange direction quickly. Pynchon is a writer few directors have had the guts to adapt, not for lack of trying. Pynchon novels such as GRAVITY’S RAINBOW and MASON & DIXON have been in the works at various times, only to have people declare that the material was impossible to translate to film. INHERENT VICE is reportedly as more straight-forward, though far from conventional, narrative.

Anderson doesn’t seem to be taking any chances either. He is staying as true to Pynchon’s vision as possible. “The credit should be like ‘secretary to the author,” Anderson says, “But it’s no less fun. In some ways it’s just what the doctor ordered right now for me: being more selfless.”

Anderson is nearly done with the script and hopes to shoot sometime next year.